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Saturday, March 10, 2012

St. Patricks Day Party Menu

Are you having a St. Patty's Day party and need some idea's? Guess what, it's your lucky day! My brother (who is a chef) and I have been brainstorming some delicious bites to share with you here at Pops and Podge. Let's start with mini food.... I heart mini food! I think it is the perfect thing to serve at parties. You can take most anything normal sized and make it mini. I think that is why I love cupcakes so much, cause it is simply a mini cake. And we all know how I am obsessed feel about cake. To get this party started we have some sliders (mini sandwiches), mini shepherds Pie and mini chocolate mint shakes. And that is just to start...Enjoy!

Now the star of this show is a little slider my brother whipped up for you all. A slider is just a simple way to serve a burger or sandwich. It is easy to make, easy for your guests to eat and great for little guests too!

The sweet flavor of the Hawaiian bun, the salty of the beef, and sweet spicy
taste of the apple slaw create the perfect combination in this slider.
Served with Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips...Yum!

Ingredients
(1) Dz. Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
(1) lb. of Corned Beef (try to get this in your local deli freshly sliced, 1 slice per roll)
1 Green Apple
1 Bag Pre-sliced Cabbage
2-3 tsp. Horseradish (add more or less to taste if you wish)
7 Tbls. Mayonnaise
3/4 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 cup Scallions or Red Onions (optional, I don't like raw onions so my brother left them out, but he said it would have been a nice flavor add)
Salt and Pepper

Directions
First slice your apple. Try to julianne/slice by hand vs. shredding. Shredding creates more natural juice, which you don't really want in this recipe. Put your cabbage, sliced apples and optional onions in a medium bowl. In a smaller bowl mix together the mayo, vinegar and horseradish. Reserving about a 1/4 of a cup of sauce on the side, mix the remainder with the slaw mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Slice your rolls in half and spread on a thin layer of the sauce on each bottom half of the roll, you can just use mayonnaise if you prefer. Fold meat to fit your bun and lay on top of the bottom half. Put a big spoonful of the slaw on top. Put top half of roll on top and serve!

I think these Mini Shepherd Pie's are a great version of a full shepherd's pie.

Mini Shepherd Pie
This recipe is from Aaron McCargo Jr. from Food Network (if you go there you can see the video too)
Serves 12 (1 per person, I would double if your having over 8 people, then they can have two)

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 can biscuits (12) (recommended: Grands)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1/2 onion, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup beef stock

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder

2 tablespoons granulated onion powder

2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. Mold biscuits to the shape of each muffin cup. Par-bake biscuits for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and brown. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add beef stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.
Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic and onion powder.
Spoon equal amounts equal amounts of beef mixture (approximately 2 tablespoons) on the bottoms of each par-baked biscuit. Then top with (approximately 2 tablespoons) of warm potatoes. Finally top with equal amounts of Cheddar. Return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before popping individual pies out with a knife.

If your looking for something a little more upscale and have enough ramekins. I would recommend this recipe...at Tasty Planner.

Fried Asparagus

Using in season fruits and vegetables makes every party just plain better!
Fresh spring asparagus fried up makes a perfect appetizer. Try this recipe from
Taste of Home

Rainbow Fruit Kabobs

You may remember this post from the Pink Champagne Baby Shower I catered.
These Rainbow Fruit Kabobs and Pineapple Coconut Dip are a colorful compliment to any party. Put some Rolo's wrapped in gold at the end of the rainbow and you will have your pot of Gold!

Mini Mint Oreo Shakes

Ingredients

3 scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream

8 Mint Oreo's (crushed)

1 1/2 cups of Milk

Whipped Cream

Directions

First blend the milk and ice cream in a blender. Then add Oreo's and blend. I poured mine in small mason jars. Garnished with whipped cream, an Oreo and a straw. Adding mint would be nice for presentation as well.

And last but luckily not least...My 6-Layer Lucky Cake made in Friday's post. I hope these items make for a perfect St. Patrick's Day party. If you have any questions about how much to make, please leave a comment or email me.